Opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and a coalition involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), are not on the ballot as the Independent National Electoral Commission conducts Saturday’s bye-elections in Kano State.
The off-season polls are taking place in the Municipal and Ungogo state constituencies to fill two vacant seats in the Kano State House of Assembly following the deaths of the former lawmakers last year.
Despite the absence of the major opposition parties, INEC said it is fully prepared to deliver what it described as a free, fair and credible election. At a media briefing ahead of the poll, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kano, Abdul Zango, said all political parties were given equal opportunity to participate.
“All political parties were given equal opportunity to nominate candidates. The commission is fully prepared to conduct a transparent and credible election,” Zango said.
However, INEC’s final list of cleared candidates shows that only nine political parties are contesting the bye-elections. They include Accord (A), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Action Peoples Party (APP), African Action Congress (AAC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
INEC has yet to publicly explain why the PDP, NNPP and ADC were excluded. The affected parties have accused the commission of deliberately denying them the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.
The NNPP, which is factionalised in Kano, reportedly submitted six different candidates for the two constituencies. Reacting, the Boniface-led faction of the party, through Senator Mushud El-Jibril Doguwa, accused INEC of unjust disqualification.
“We duly submitted our candidates for the Municipal and Ungogo constituencies, but INEC refused to recognise our party for reasons best known to them,” Doguwa said.
He added, “This is a clear attempt to sideline us from the democratic process. We will not accept it. We are already consulting our lawyers and will institute legal action against INEC.”
Efforts to reach the Kwankwasiyya and Abdullahi Abiya-led factions of the NNPP were unsuccessful as of press time.
Similarly, the Kano State Chairman of the PDP, Yusuf Kibiya, accused INEC of breaching the Electoral Act.
“We were ready and willing to participate in this by-election,” Kibiya said. “However, INEC only gave us four days to conduct our primaries and submit the names of candidates. That is not sufficient time, and it undermines the spirit of the law.”
He described the development as “deeply troubling for democracy,” adding that the party would review its next steps.
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